Cadbury calls creative review in hunt for one agency to manage brief split between Fallon and Saatchi & Saatchi

Chocolate maker Cadbury wants to consolidate its advertising strategy that has been split between Saatchi & Saatchi and Fallon, the agency behind the drum-playing Gorilla advert.

Should both Publicis-owned agencies contest the account then it is likely to be Saatchi & Saatchi rather than Fallon that will lead, given the agency has handled global duties outside of the UK alongside Ogilvy & Mather. The WPP-owned business mainly oversees the brand in India but has also created ads for South Africa, meaning its future with Cadbury could also be affected by the pitch.

It is understood that the review is being led by Dana Anderson, chief marketing officer at Cadbury-owner Mondelez, and that only London agencies are being considered ahead of the first briefing next week (6 April).

Cadbury is unique amongst Mondelez brands in having two agencies, and the review aims to create a clearer way of working.

The move follows the departure of the brand’s top marketer Matthew Williams last August, who had worked with both Fallon and Saatchi & Saatchi on positioning the chocolate around the joy people feel when they eat it.

This saw Cadbury promoted under the Joyville banner from 2012, only to be dropped in favour of one that promoted the 'spontaneous moments of joy' two years later. Other marketing tweaks have been made in the years since, but the brand has arguably struggled to hit the heights of the famous ‘Gorilla’ ad, created by Fallon.

Signs of change at Cadbury were evident earlier this year when it decided to sponsor the Premier League, its first major sports sponsorship since it backed the London 2012 Games. Speaking to The Drum about the move, Cadbury said the decision stemmed from the need to “stay relevant”.

The uncertainty of Brexit has also proved challenging for the business. While Cadbury has committed to staying in the UK, the chocolate brand has said it may have to raise prices or shrink the size of its products post-Brexit, following in the footsteps of Maltesers and Mars who have both reduced the size of their products due to rising costs.

How it communicates these changes to consumers in the coming months and years will be an increasingly crucial part of the marketing strategy.

Cadbury's Toblerone faced a backlash after changing the shape of its iconic bar, ultimately delivering less chocolate for the RRP.